Tekken 3

Story

After the events of Tekken 2, Heihachi Mishima, the leader of the Mishima Financial Empire (Mishima Zaibatsu) has reclaimed his spot after his son, Kazuya Mishima, dethroned him. After winning the King of Iron Fists Tournament 2, he threw his son into a volcano. However, 15 years later he has received word that his men have all been killed by a mysterious rival named Ogre, who has also claimed the lives of many martial arts masters from around the world.

A young man, Jin Kazama, appeared before Heihachi and claimed to be the son of Kazuya. Jin also said that his mother, Jun Kazama, has vanished by Ogre. After hearing this news, Heihachi concludes that Ogre feeds on the souls of the fallen masters. He wants to harness Ogre’s strength, so he immediately begins training Jin to be a strong master. Four years later he begins the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 with Jin as the lure to draw Ogre out.

Each character has a different reason for entering the tournament and a unique ending video. There are bios for each of the standard characters in the manual.

The name of the character’s ending is in parentheses:

• Ling Xiaoyu (Dreamland?) NEW
  • A 16 year old who loves amusement parks and is a martial arts master. Her wish is to build the best amusement park in China. Upon winning the tournament, Heihachi built her a park, except it’s actually his park. Xiaoyu beats him up.
• Yoshimitsu (Ogre’s Blood)
  • The leader of the Manji Clan, a group of Robin Hood space thieves. His friend, Dr. Bosconovitch needs Ogre’s blood to live, so he enters the tournament to get the blood and save the doctor. Upon winning the tournament, the doctor tests the blood on a lab rat, which suddenly grows so large it bursts through the building. Yoshimitsu runs out with the doctor in hand.
• Nina Williams (War Between Sisters)
  • An assassin that failed to kill Kazuya Mishima in the second tournament, so she became a test subject for cryogenic research. She was then reawakened by Ogre and is missing a lot of memories. She is determined to kill Jin Kazama. Upon winning, she and Anna try to get her memories back, but are unsuccessful. They go to their father’s grave, and Nina suddenly starts to remember and slaps Anna and runs off. Anna is happy that her sister regained memories.
• Forest Law (Middle Age)
  • Forest is Marshall’s son (who was playable in the first two games). He enters the tournament because Paul pressured him into doing it, and it was a good opportunity to prove his might and make his father proud. Upon winning, him and his father, along with Paul, are all training. Forest shows them a new move, but both Marshall and Paul fail. (Forest is technically not a new character, as his moves are identical to Marshall Law, his father.)
• Hwoarang (Rival) NEW
  • A man who practices Taekwondo who wants to seek revenge on Ogre after he attacked his teacher, Baek Doo San. He also has a score to settle with Jin from a past fight. He’s not happy, even after winning, but suddenly sees Jin being chased by the Tekken Force. He throws his trophy as a distraction and takes out the Force. Jin, who seems to be glowing with electricity, runs off.
• Eddy Gordo (Fixer) NEW
  • A man who is a son of a wealthy industrialist in Brazil. When he was younger, he came home to find his father shot and dying. His father was trying to take down the drug cartel. Eddy wanted revenge, but his father insisted that now is not the time. Eddy was unjustly locked up in prison for murder of his father. When he was finally freed, he entered the tournament to seek revenge. When he wins, he breaks into the home of someone whom he thinks was connected to his father’s murder, but the man points to the desk where there are photos of his real killer, Kazuya Mishima.
• Tiger Jackson (Supa Fly!) NEW
  • Tiger is a disco man. He has no story, but does have an ending movie where he dances in a club. He is just an alternate costume for Eddy Gordo.
• Paul Phoenix (Winning Run)
  • He’s getting older and upset he lost the previous tournaments, so he’s entering again to finally win. When he wins, he’s speeding on his motorcycle and is caught by police where he gets a ticket.
• King (Destiny)
  • This King is an orphan raised by the original King. Ogre killed the original King and his dying wish was for the new King to take over the orphanage. He supports it by doing pro-wrestling, with Armor King as his mentor now. When he wins the competition, he is seen wrestling, with Armor King encouraging him. When he wins the wrestling match, Armor King is nowhere to be seen, so King runs to the locker room and sees him there with his mask off, weakened by his heart disease, reminiscing about the original King.
• Lei Wulong (Afternoon Nap)
  • A detective that’s investigating the disappearance of the martial arts masters. When he wins the tournament, he’s seen practicing Kung fu during all seasons before finally taking a rest.
• Jin Kazama (Dirty Blood) NEW
  • The son of Kazuya Mishima and Jun Kazama, and Heihachi Mishima’s grandson. Heihachi trains him so he’s strong enough to face Ogre and avenge his mother’s death. After defeating Ogre, Heihachi turns on him, shooting him in the head. However, Jin transforms into his devil form, grabbing Heihachi and slammed him through the wall. He escapes into the sky as Heihachi watches.
• Kuma (Honey…)
  • The child of the original Kuma that died due to old age. It enters the tournament to defeat Paul Phoenix. When he wins, he visits the school Ling Xiaoyu goes to give her pet panda a bouquet of flowers. However, Panda ignores him as he continues to wait there.
• Panda (Honey…) NEW
  • The protector of Ling Xiaoyu that was trained by Heihachi, much like Kuma was. Panda is not fond of Kuma, despite his interest in her. She has the same ending as Kuma.
• Julia Chang (Homecoming)
  • She was abandoned as a baby and Michelle found her and raised her like her own child. When martial artists started disappearing, they both thought it had something to do with Michelle’s pendant, the key to the Native American treasure that Heihachi sought during the second tournament. Michelle went to Japan to speak with Heihachi, but never returned, so Julia went to find her. After she wins, her and Michelle return home to Arizona, and Michelle teaches her a lesson to not seek revenge, but to protect Mother Earth. (She is technically not a new character, as her moves are identical to Michelle Chang, her mother.)
• Gun Jack (Complete?)
  • After Jane witnessed Jack-2 shut down when she was only eight, years later, when she was 27, managed to restore 90% of Jack, but he lacked emotion. She discovered the hidden program, Project Gun Jack, within him and took it to the creators, Mishima Financial Empire, to get answers. When Gun Jack wins the tournament, Jane restores the memories of Jack-2 and both of them walk outside. Dr. Abel fires a laser at Jack in an attempt to destroy him, but he puts up a shield to protect him and Jane.
• Mokujin (Uppercut) NEW
  • A training dummy made from a 2,000 year old oak tree. It was kept in a museum for a long time, but started acting on its own when Ogre awakened. Upon winning, he receives an uppercut from a female Mokujin for not doing his chores (likely his mom or wife). He sees fellow Mokujins playing a Tekken 3 arcade, so he joins, only to turn around and see the female one there ready to give him another uppercut for not doing chores.
• Anna Williams (Pool-Side)
  • Anna was upset that her sister, Nina, became a test subject for Dr. Bosconovitch’s cryogenic “Cold Sleep” research because it would mean she couldn’t see her and she would age without her. So, she too went through cold sleep. They both sensed Ogre’s evil presence and awoke, Anna without any side effects, while Nina lost her memories of Anna. So, she helped Nina get her memories back. When she wins the tournament, she is seen with her sister near a pool. Men approach and are eying Anna. Nina gets jealous and rips Anna’s top off, walking away with a smug look on her face. (Japanese version) In the American version, Anna does not get her top ripped off, but is instead walking away with the boys.
• Bryan Fury (Last Laugh) NEW
  • He was once a cop that was killed in a shoot-out in Hong Kong. Dr. Abel, intent on making a cyborg army, used Bryan’s body. He enters the tournament to take down Yoshimitsu, whom has ties to Dr. Bosconovitch, which is Dr. Abel’s rival. When he wins, Tekken Force soldiers are trying to take him down, but they are no match for Bryan. He even rips apart a tank, throwing it at the soldiers, laughing maniacally.
• Heihachi Mishima (A Grandson’s Fall)
  • After defeating his son in the prior tournament, and reclaiming his position in the Mishima Financial Empire, Heihachi organized the Tekken Force, a military group. 15 years later they were mysteriously killed during an excavation of Central American ruins. Heihachi knew it was Ogre and wanted to rule over him, and thus the entire world. Not long after, Heihachi started training his grandson, Jin Kazama, who was 15 at the time, to use him as bait to lure out Ogre. Four years later he was fully trained, but Jin showed the same devilish signs that his father, Kazuya Mishima, experienced. So, Heihachi killed him when he lead Ogre to him. After defeating Ogre, Heihachi takes Jin’s body on a helicopter and notices devil markings appearing on his arms, so he throws him out of the helicopter.
• Ogre (Awakening) NEW
  • Ogre is the weapon of war left by creatures from outer space in ancient times. Heihachi’s Tekken Force was all killed when searching ancient ruins in Mexico. He goes around the world, absorbing the abilities of powerful martial artists. Eventually he gets to Jun Kazama and her 15 year old son, Jin Kazama. Jin passes out and awakens later to find his mother gone and his home destroyed. He then wants to seek revenge. When the tournament starts, Paul Phoenix manages to kill Ogre, but Ogre transforms into his true form, and defeats Paul. Jin then faces off against him and destroys True Ogre.
• True Ogre (Awakening) NEW
  • True Ogre is the evolved form of Ancient Ogre with strength beyond human comprehension. He has the same ending as Ogre.
• Doctor Bosconovitch (Ogre’s Blood) NEW
  • A scientist since the age of 12. He lost his daughter, Alisa, and began researching resurrection and cold sleep, and was even the creator of Jack. His research saved Yoshimitsu from death, but was later captured by Kazuya Mishima and forced to work for him. Yoshimitsu came to his rescue. Inflicted with an unknown illness, he needs the blood of Ogre to cure himself and revive Alisa. He has the same ending as Yoshimitsu.
• Gon (Loop) NEW
  • He’s a small orange dinosaur, but his origins and the reasons he’s in the tournament are unknown. When he wins, we get to see what he gets up to in a day: Coming out of the ocean riding on a dolphin, getting blasted into the sky by a whale, rolling into the woods, stealing a fish from a bear, riding a lion, then a bird, then attempting to fly, but falls into the ocean…REPEAT INDEFINITELY!

Gameplay

The controls, moves, and overall gameplay is improved over the second game. It is a fighting game where you use your arsenal of moves to take down your opponent. Since there are more moves, there are many more combos to master with your favorite characters.

My personal favorite characters are Ling Xiaoyu, Yoshimitsu, Nina Williams, Eddy Gordo, Gun Jack, Bryan Fury, True Ogre, and Gon.

There are a variety of game modes besides just story, practice, team battle, survival, and time trial this time around. These new modes include: Tekken Force and Tekken Ball. In Tekken Force mode you play from a semi 3D perspective, which can be hard to control at times, and fight through several areas within a time limit. You fight the Tekken Force soldiers and they are often quite weak, but vary in health. If you get hit and lost health, there is random fully cooked chicken on the ground for you to eat to regain your health. Yum! There is also a boss at the end of each section, and when you complete all the areas, you get a key. Get all three keys and you’ll unlock Dr. Bosconovitch’s basement to fight him, and defeating him unlocks him as a playable character.

Tekken Ball mode is a volleyball game. There are a variety of balls to choose from and the way you damage your opponent is by performing attacks on the ball and landing a hit on your opponent with them. Damage is also dealt when the ball lands on your side of the field on the ground. Another character, Gon, can be unlocked from this mode.

Graphics

The character models look great! Unlike the first game where the characters look a bit…well strange, and the second where they are still a bit…strange…Tekken 3 improves upon their appearance even more, primarily in the cutscenes. Technology at the time must have improved, as well as the budget, since the characters actually look pretty good and have more natural movement in cutscenes.

Sound / Music

The music is also a bit different from the prior games, sounding a bit more rock and metal. It still retains plenty of the electronic tracks, but has different styles thrown in for each character. There are some great tunes in this game that are very memorable.

Albums

Game Info

Developer: Namco

Publisher: Namco

Release Date: March 20, 1997

Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation

About the Author

Asphodel Gaming

I am a Twitch streamer and game reviewer.